The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has released three green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), including 2 juveniles and 1 adult, and 1 juvenile hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the southeastern waters of Hong Kong today.

The juvenile green turtles and the hawksbill turtle were found by members of the public and AFCD staff on Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Campers’ Beach in Sai Kung and Yan Chau Tong between October 2012 and May this year.

After an initial check-up by the AFCD, the turtles were taken to Ocean Park for a veterinary assessment and care.

The adult green turtle was kept by Ocean Park since 2002. It was among the hatchlings artificially incubated from a batch of eggs collected in Sham Wan on Lamma Island in 2001. Because it had a slight deformity on its shell, it was looked after by Ocean Park.

The juvenile turtles ranged from 4.05 to 12.85 kg in weight and their shells were from 35 to 47cm in length, while the adult turtle weighed 76.5 kg and its shell was 79cm. All of them were in good condition, indicating that they were ready to be returned to the sea.

Before returning them to the sea, the AFCD tagged each turtle with a microchip and Inconel tags for future identification, and attached a satellite transmitter to their backs. By tracing their oceanic movements and locating their feeding grounds, the AFCD can collect data for formulating appropriate conservation measures and share findings with various conservation authorities such as tha Gangkou Sea Turtle National Nature Reserve in Huidong (Guandong Province).

Of the five sea turtle species found in Hong Kong waters, the hawksbill turtle is relatively rare and the green turtle is to date the only species known to nest locally.